49. The Owl’s Call. (3)

Why did we, why did the world, have to face this apocalypse?

I’ve never thought about it.

Months after the apocalypse began.

I’ve never once considered why the apocalypse came, to the point where it’s surprising that I’ve never thought about it.

I was just too busy surviving and leveling up.

It’s an important question.

I nodded.

“So, have you found anything out?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok shook his head with a smile.

“No, the President and the Chief of Staff are just making guesses.”

“What kind of guesses?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok, who had been sitting, seemed to be thinking and then chuckled.

He handed the drone controller to a team member and stood up.

He looked at me and said:

“That all of this might be related to you.”

I met his gaze without a word.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok continued:

“You know, your abilities. It’s not just about being good with a sword or bow. That black… shadow warrior? Summoning a motorcycle out of thin air. It’s not something a human should be able to do.”

He glanced at his wristwatch and then pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it.

He said:

“If it weren’t for this special situation, you would have been captured alive and turned into a lab rat, or treated as an uncontrollable superhuman by the government and eliminated. Either way, it wouldn’t have been a good environment for you.”

I understood his point.

My abilities are dangerous.

If it weren’t for the apocalypse, not just in Korea but even in the U.S., they would have tried to capture or kill me.

I’m certain of that.

Secret agents from around the world would have come after me…

…But if that happened, it might actually be…

…Interesting?

I stopped my thoughts and chuckled.

“Is that so?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at me, his hand holding the cigarette pointing at me.

I took a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok then lit it for me.

He said:

“Of course. I, for one, often think about how I would kill you if you were my enemy. I’m sure the other team members, even Gyeon, think the same.”

The team member holding the drone controller glanced up at me.

He didn’t say anything, but his expression confirmed that Sung Gyuhyeok was right.

I laughed.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok.

I knew he was straightforward and didn’t hide his thoughts, but this much?

“Aren’t you being a bit too honest? I’m right here.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok smiled and said:

“Don’t be too harsh. I’m a fighter. When I know what abilities my opponent has, I think about how to counter them and train accordingly. It’s a kind of occupational hazard. Besides…”

“Besides?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled.

“I don’t know much about politics. Why the apocalypse came isn’t something I need to worry about. All I need to know is that the world has ended.”

He took another drag and looked at the distant mountains.

“The President and the Chief of Staff seem to speculate that you, or the fact that you gained your abilities, might be related to all of this. They wonder if there might be other people with abilities like yours. But that’s not my concern. The reality is that the world has ended. We need to accept it quickly to survive.”

I crossed my arms and smoked, saying:

“So, you quickly accepted me?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok nodded and said:

“Yes. My only concern about you now is whether you are an ally or an enemy.”

A smile lingered on my lips.

Talking to this man is oddly enjoyable.

He’s unpretentious and straightforward, making him very easy to deal with.

It’s a strange thought to have about someone who’s thinking about how to kill me, but I can’t help it.

I quite like this guy.

I smiled and asked:

“I’m an ally, right?”

Sung Gyuhyeok nodded and said:

“For now, yes. We need to maintain the power and acquire weapons. So far, our interests have aligned, and we’ve acted together. But who knows what will happen in the future?”

I laughed and asked:

“Yesterday’s friend might become today’s enemy, something like that?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok glanced at his wristwatch again, lowered his arm, and smiled at me.

“An enemy… Honestly, I don’t really want to fight you. I haven’t found a way to kill you yet. What would you do if that situation arose?”

I blinked, not realizing it.

Today, I’ve heard a lot of things I’ve never thought about before.

If I were to face these people as enemies, I would…

As I thought about this, I looked up at the sky for a moment, and Sung Gyeon approached.

“What are you talking about so interestingly? The time is almost up, right?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok nodded.

“Ah, yes.”

Sung Gyeon looked at me and then returned to her position.

…I don’t think I could kill that woman.

Not the team members or the commander either.

I’ve somehow grown attached to them.

But if that situation arose?

Sigh…

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok looked at my face and smiled.

“What do you think? It’s quite a dilemma and interesting, isn’t it?”

I laughed and shook my head.

“Not really.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok also laughed and said:

“The operation is starting. I’ll inform Seong-hun about what our team members are seeing through the drone.”

He patted my shoulder and walked past me.

“Let’s make this operation a success.”

“Sure.”

I watched his back, feeling quite conflicted.

If you receive military training, you’re a soldier.

But the standard for a fighter, as he put it, is quite clear. Whoever it is, if they become an enemy, they must be ready to fight back.

He’s probably like this because he’s always trained for hostage rescue and high-value target assassinations.

A hostage can become a terrorist in the right situation. It doesn’t matter if they’re a woman or a child.

If a child panics and raises a gun, they must be shot down without hesitation, and a headshot must be confirmed, no matter if they’re eight or seven years old.

A fighter…

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok’s voice came through the earphone.

“10 seconds until the operation starts. Defense team.”

Sung Gyeon responded:

“Defense team ready.”

“Demolition team.”

The team members holding the remote detonators and the drone controller each responded.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok said:

“Song Jungsah, is the control room ready?”

“Control room is ready.”

After confirming everyone was ready, Commander Sung Gyuhyeok said:

“5 seconds until the operation starts. 4, 3, 2, 1. Start.”

A click was heard through the earphone.

It was undoubtedly the sound of the power plant’s power being cut.

A hissing sound might be expected, but there was none.

Just a faint sound of a switch being flipped.

But from that sound, we all knew what had happened to the power plant.

The high-voltage fence had lost its function, and a large-scale blackout had likely occurred in the surrounding area, the nearby metropolis, and beyond.

Sung Gyeon, the defense team leader, said:

“A, ah. Can you hear me?”

Her voice was clearly heard through the earphone.

I chuckled and said:

“I can hear you.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok sighed slightly and said:

“The communication is still working. According to the Chief of Staff, most utility and communication facilities have emergency power that can last at least six hours. It seems that’s true.”

Song Jungsah in the control room responded:

“This time, we’re just turning off regular facilities like computers and air conditioners. Shutting down a city-scale area will significantly reduce power consumption. Four hours is more than enough.”

“Hmm.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok said:

“Four hours from now. Everyone, stay at your positions. Don’t even think about going to the bathroom. Song Jungsah, keep an eye on the residents.”

“Understood.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok checked each team member on the rooftop and then approached me.

“The drone hasn’t found anything yet, right?”

I nodded.

“Nothing significant. There are a few small ones around.”

“It would be best if nothing happens.”

I shook my head and flicked the cigarette butt away.

“No, it wouldn’t be good.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok seemed to understand my answer. He nodded and looked at the mountains.

At that moment, the team member holding the drone controller said:

“I found it.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok, I, and the other team members turned our heads simultaneously.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok said:

“You found the giant beast? Where?”

“It’s quite far from here. I don’t know the exact location. It’s near a barn… or something like that.”

I looked at the screen of the controller.

Indeed, the thermal camera had captured something glowing white.

I couldn’t tell how high the drone was, but a tiny figure was squirming near other white objects.

“…It’s a cow. It’s eating a cow.”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok groaned.

A cow?

I widened my eyes and looked at the screen.

It was too small to see clearly, like an ant.

But it definitely looked like it was eating something.

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok pulled out his phone and opened Google Maps, then pointed to the distant mountains.

“It’s over there. There’s a large cattle farm in the center of the mountain range.”

The team member said:

“We can probably wait four hours. What should we do?”

Commander Sung Gyuhyeok looked at me.

I shook my head.

“If we don’t kill it and just leave, it might eventually raid the power plant. We need to take care of it.”

“…Do you have a plan?”

I looked at the mountains.

Let’s see…

It’s either nearby or deep in the mountains, tearing apart a cow.

I sighed and looked at the rooftop stairwell.

I won’t be able to see beyond the mountains from here.

Of course not.

…I’ll need to use some stats.

“…Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue, pushed off the wall with one foot, and leaped to the top of the stairwell in one jump.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll try to lure it out. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing I can do.”

Under the gaze of the team members, I raised my hand to the sky.

And with a spatial claw, I shot up dozens of meters into the sky.

One jump isn’t enough.

I need to go high enough to see the mountains.

I activated the spatial claw five times in quick succession, continuing to rise into the sky.

The scenery changed dramatically.

The power plant grew smaller and smaller with each jump.

The mountain ridges shifted.

Each spatial claw jump was more than 30 meters.

I’ve never measured it exactly, but I felt like I had risen at least 200 meters into the sky.

On the fifth spatial claw jump, I summoned a whirlwind and rode it.

And immediately activated acceleration.

[Automatic Activation: Acceleration]

I didn’t fall.

Time stopped.

No, I became faster.

I had two spatial claw activations left.

I can’t use them anymore.

If I can see it, I can see it; if I can’t, I can’t.

Ridge beyond ridge.

Mountain beyond mountain.

And in between.

Very small.

A tiny, salt-grain-like flat area was visible.

I pulled out the anti-material rifle from the whirlwind.

I hope that tiny grain is the barn.

I hope the beast is there.

I shouldered the rifle and brought the scope to my eye.

…It’s there.

I can see it.

I can’t see it clearly.

Even with this high-magnification scope, the beast is too small.

But the precise red dot in the transparent circle of the scope told me exactly where the beast was.

Come.

Come and die in my hands.

I pulled the trigger.

Flame slowly spread.

Compressed gas pushed the high-explosive armor-piercing round.

The bullet flew, and the muzzle rose a split second later.

I stomped the whirlwind to maintain balance and immediately put the rifle away.

The acceleration was deactivated.

The delayed explosion echoed around me.

The flame flashed and disappeared in front of my eyes.

“Phew.”

I put away the whirlwind and began to fall towards the ground.

The power plant grew closer.

It expanded.

I extended my hand towards the ground beside the building.

Now.

Just as I was about to clench my fist.

The high-explosive armor-piercing round hit the beast’s head.

It was the beast that told me.

Uuuuuu!

A sound that made the mountains and the mountain range tremble shook the air.

It really sounded like an owl’s call.

I smiled and clenched my fist.